Midem Artist Accelerator reveals 12 African finalists

Midem, arguably the world’s largest music market, this year celebrates its 50th edition in Cannes, France from 3 to 6 June. The second annual Midem Artist Accelerator aims to identify and develop emerging talent. Twelve African acts are among 62 ‘preselected’ artists from around the world, from which 12 finalists will be selected in early April and then invited to Midem in June.

Of the 12 Africans acts to have made it this far, five are South Africans: established female pop star Toya Delazy, up and coming singer Moonchild Sanelly, well-travelled rapper Dr Bone and Cape Town-based bands Abavuki and Al Bairre.

Representing Senegal are popular singer Faada Freddy and the band Sahad & the Nataal Patchwork.

From Ghana are hiplife artist Koo Ntakra and US-based rapper Blitz the Ambassador.

Rounding off the 12 finalists are Blick Bassy from Cameroon, Malian electronic outfit Midnight Ravers and Nigerian songbird Simi.

South African artist Dr Bone told Music In Africa about the significance of the event and his preselection for the MAA programme ahead of the upcoming release of his debut album Lindelani in April: "Midem is my Mecca. My first recording deal happened because my manager was at Midem and met one of the most influential people in the music industry globally, Seymour Stein. And just as I'm busy jumping up and down celebrating the fact that my debut album is ready to hit the shelves, then something even more exciting slaps me in the face: the Midem Artist Accelerator programme 2016!"

See below for a playlist of music videos from each of the 62 finalists

Out of these 62 preselected entries, 12 will now be chosen as finalists by Midem’s Artistic Committee and announced in early April. These 12 finalists will then get to play live at Midem and will benefit from a tailored professional programme, including entry to selected conferences, coaching sessions with industry mentors and networking opportunities with key players from the international Midem community.

Among the sessions offered to the finalists are an online monetization best practice workshop presented by BandPage. Participants will also benefit from special legal consulting from the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL) and privileged access to the Global Sync & Brands Summit. Metropolis, Europe's leading professional recording studio and production facility, will conduct a dedicated workshop around music sync and placements. The company’s team of engineers and A&R will also join Midem’s pool of experts to assist the artists during their career journey at Midem.

Out the 12 finalists, the winner will be chosen in an online ‘community vote’ and revealed in early May. The winning artist will not only get to perform at the Midem Opening Party on Friday 3 June but will also be rewarded with a full day of recording and mastering of an album at the Metropolis studio in London.

For more details visit the MAA website.